When we got back home from the northwest, I kept thinking the snow and ice on the ground would have to melt, and we'd get back to a more autumn-like pattern, but I think maybe winter is here to stay, at least for this year.
I think I finally managed to scrape the last of the ice off the sidewalk and the driveway. In fact, when I returned from the hardware store, where I went to get a new snow shovel to replace the one that disappeared since the last time I used it, in January or February, I was able to get up the driveway in just one try—a first since we got back.
Last night I received help with my task from a young neighborhood entrepreneur. As I was working down at the duplex, he approached me.
Can I help?
he asked.
No, thanks,
I said. I think I've got it.
Pleeease?
I considered for a second, and said, Sure, if you really want
to...
We worked together for a little while, scraping and chipping the ice
off the walk, then he said, Is there any money in this?
Money? I was just going to do this myself, when you walked
up.
(Brian came up with a better response: I don't know! Keep
looking!
)
We scraped some more, and he said, Not even dollar?
Tell you what,
I mused leaning for a second on the shovel.
If you finish up the sidewalk here, then clear off the steps and the
front walk, I'll pay you three dollars.
I couldn't decide if
that was too much or too little, but there wasn't much left to do, and
he jumped right on the offer, so I guess it was fair at least. He
quickly enlisted the aid of a friend of his, who happened to be standing
by. The friend took over the shovel I had been using.
I went home to scatter some salt on remaining patches of iron-hard ice, returning to the duplex a few minutes later to check on the progress. The two were working hard; ice chips and sparks were flying from the blades of the shovels.
The entrepreneur piped up, How much did you say you were gonna
pay? Four dollars?
I laughed, and told him, no, it was three, but since there were two of them working, and the ice was tough, I'd pay them each two, for a total of four dollars.
They chatted and worked. Another friend showed up as they were finishing. After they cleared the last area, I got their names, shook their hands, and paid them the negotiated amount.
Thanks, guys. Next time it snows, come see me.
Over on his blog, Chief Tom Casady relates a story about a house that has been rented out to bad tenants who are diminishing the quality of life for the neighbors. Is it relevant that the house has become a rental apparently as a result of the housing slump? Maybe, but I'm not so sure.
Barbara and I are, ourselves, small-time landlords, and there's a trick to it. It's not a hard trick, but not many who get into the business seem to understand it.
This trick can be summed up in three words: screen your tenants.
It's seems so obvious, I expect the response, ...And where would
you get these
I tell you where and how
in chapter
three of my book...screened tenants
?
Anyway, screening works. Most of bad ones will be weeded out by a simple credit check, and the rest will succumb to the criminal background check. When you tell them that you are going to perform these checks, many of the bad ones won't even bother to apply. It saves time!
Sure it costs a little, but the application fee pays for it. Heck, it
even returns dividends in the form of good renters who care about my
property and the neighborhood, who think of it as home
instead of
the place I keep my junk and throw an occasional party while I'm
passing through
.
Here are a few other hints for refifugees looking to rent out their debt-burdened McMansionshouses:
It's Planning Commission day today. After almost a month away because of Independence Day, receiving the agenda for today's hearing last Friday was a little shock. Back to reality.
Over the last week or so, I've been contacted by a couple of people who are apparently being considered by the city administration to fill an upcoming opening on the commission. Candidates want to know what the time they will need to commit each week, how much reading is there, what is the working environment like, etc.
What do you find challenging about serving on the Planning
Commission?
I was asked.
Coming up with an answer for this was a little tougher than the other, quantitative questions. Basically, the Planning Commission doesn't spend most of its time making big, interesting decisions. Mostly, it's relatively small, run-of-the-mill stuff. Really meaty stuff, like updating the Comprehensive Plan, is relatively rare, while more mechanical things, like a change of zone from AGR (agricultural residential) to R-3 (developing, mid-density residential) are much more common.
Does that mean it's boring? No, but it can be difficult to maintain a perspective on the entire city and county and the future when faced with questions of block-length or sidewalks in an acreage development. And even this is decepetive, since block-length and sidewalk considerations are vital elements of urban design for the future, as Lincoln grows around, over, and through the existing development.
And what are the ethics of converting cultivable land to residential use?
Maintaining perspective. Remembering that block length waivers affect the community. That's a challenge.
Tomorrow morning: Free To Grow Core Team. Tomorrow night: Hartley Neighborhood Assocation board. When the planets align, it makes for a busy week.